


Conversation in the dark

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-28
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-11 18:55:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4447853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gibbs has a strange conversation over Tony's sleeping form.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversation in the dark

The house was dark when Tony pulled up in the driveway, but then it usually was. When Tony trudged inside and peered into the basement however, it was dark there too, and that was unexpected.

“Boss?”

Tony called out questioningly, or he tried to, but his voice was scratchy and rough with fatigue. They had been running around on a case for the last week and a half, and they all had scrapes and bruises from encounters with the bad guys, and now that it was finally done, Tony felt the need to check up on Gibbs.

They had been sent home by Vance about two hours ago with the message that he didn’t want to see them at the office for the next four days, and Tony had dutifully gone home, but once there he felt an uneasiness in his gut. Gibbs had looked exhausted but defiant, a fire still burning in his eyes. Tony knew Gibbs was unhappy about the way the case had played out, and he worried that Gibbs might be taking it out on himself. So despite his own exhaustion, he had changed into jeans and a fresh shirt, and dragged himself to his car to go see Gibbs.

Not finding the man in his basement only made his worry increase.

After a short hesitation, Tony quietly made his way upstairs. Maybe Gibbs had gone to sleep in his bed this time instead of on the couch, and if Tony could just take a quick peek to see if Gibbs was indeed there, that would settle him. But the bedroom was empty too.

Tony sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, wondering what to do, and he sat down on the edge of the bed to try and decide. He didn’t even notice when his body rolled itself onto the bed, his mind already shutting down, and within seconds he was fast asleep.

 

Gibbs couldn’t stop a small smile forming on his lips when he pulled up and saw Tony’s car in his driveway. He’d had a feeling Tony would be showing up to check on him, knowing that Tony sensed Gibbs’ anger over the way the case had gone, and it was just Tony’s way to make sure he was alright. It made Gibbs feel warm, even if he had never told Tony that.

Expecting to find Tony snoring on his couch, Gibbs frowned when he didn’t see him there. A quick check of the basement proved it empty too, but Gibbs could sense that he wasn’t alone in the house. Guestroom then. He went upstairs quietly.

Passing the door to the master bedroom on his way to the guestroom, a soft sound caught Gibbs’ attention and he turned to look. Another smile crossed his face upon seeing Tony curled up on his bed, in a deep sleep. Gibbs softly padded into the room and sat carefully on the free side of the bed, after folding the duvet gently over Tony’s sleeping form. He looked down at the younger man, and softly brushed his fingers through Tony’s hair.

“Does he sleep here often?”

Gibbs smiled again.

“More often than he thinks I know about.”

“You don’t mind, do you.”

“Of course not. He cares about me. He worries.”

“I can see why you don’t kick him out. He’s very cute when he’s asleep.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that. He’d protest he isn’t cute.”

“He is, though.”

“Yeah.”

The soft chuckle he heard at that made Gibbs shake his head to himself a little.

“Oh my, Jethro, are you going soft in your old age?”

“I hope not. I try to keep in shape.”

“You know very well that’s not what I meant.”

“I know.”

“You do look good though.”

Gibbs snorted.

“He looks good too. Very pretty.”

“He wouldn’t like that either. He’d say he was handsome.”

“Handsome, pretty, cute… What does it matter what you call it? You see all those things in him, don’t you?”

Gibbs stayed quiet for a long time before he finally answered.

“I see everything in him.”

“And how does that make you feel, Jethro?”

“Guilty.”

“Why?”

“Because of you.”

A tinkling little laugh made Gibbs shiver.

“Oh, Jethro… It’s long past time for you to love again, and you know it.”

“I loved you. Still do.”

“I know. But you can love more than one person, you know.”

Gibbs just nodded.

“Then why don’t you tell him?”

Gibbs let his eyes trace Tony’s sleeping features for a few moments.

“He deserves better.”

“Better than someone who loves him?”

“Better than me.”

“Did you think that when we were together too?”

“Sometimes… It was different then. I was different.”

“Not so different, Jethro. And did you ever think that maybe those few differences are exactly what makes him right for you now?”

“I don’t want to burden him with that.”

“I think he would like the challenge. He likes it when you make him work for things. It makes him feel he has accomplished something.”

“On the job, yes. But isn’t it unfair when it comes to personal things? Shouldn’t it be easy?”

“When have matters of the heart ever been easy, Jethro?”

“They were with you.”

Again tinkling laughter seemed to fill his ears.

“I think you have a selective memory, Jethro. We had our difficulties too.”

“Not often.”

“No, but it did happen. And we always worked it out.”

Gibbs chuckled.

“You can be so stubborn at times.”

“So can you, Jethro. And so can he.”

Again Gibbs let his eyes roam over Tony’s face, seeing the younger man’s lips quirk up in his sleep. It made him smile again.

“Yes, he can.”

Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face.

“I don’t even know if he…”

“Yes, you do.”

“You don’t mind?”

“I want you to be happy, Jethro. I always wanted that.”

“Thank you, Shannon.”

“Bye, Jethro.”

Gibbs sighed in his sleep and pulled Tony’s warm body closer against himself, his arms tightening around the younger man in comfort and relaxation.

 

Tony tried to turn over onto his other side, waking a little when he had trouble doing so. Tugging at the duvet he was entangled in, he finally managed to roll over and sighed contentedly when he felt the arms around him pull him closer into their warmth.

He frowned.

Arms?

Warmth?

He blinked.

Silver hair topped the head resting next to his on the pillow.

Gibbs.

Good, Gibbs was home, and sleeping peacefully.

Tony smiled.

Then he closed his eyes and let himself sink into sleep again, secure in Gibbs’ hold.

 

When Gibbs woke up a few hours later, he found pleased green eyes blinking sleepily at him from very close by.

“Hey.”

“Hey back.”

“Checking up on me, DiNozzo?”

“Always, Boss.”

After a brief hesitation, Gibbs closed the distance between them and brushed his lips over Tony’s in a chaste kiss.

“Thank you, Tony.”

Before it fully registered what had just happened, Gibbs had slipped out of bed and into the bathroom. Tony rolled onto his back, closing his eyes and touching his fingers to his tingling lips, and smiled when he heard the shower start running.

 

By the time Gibbs came out of the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel, Tony’s eyes were awake and curious. Gibbs stood in the doorway for a moment, enjoying the way Tony’s eyes traced his naked chest before he raised them to Gibbs’ face again. Then Gibbs smiled and walked over to the bed, patting Tony’s hip softly.

“Go shower. I’ll make coffee.”

After another long look at Gibbs, Tony moved off the bed and to the bathroom. When he came out again, he heard Gibbs moving around downstairs, and Tony grabbed some fresh clothes from his bag which he had dropped in the corner the previous night. Once he was dressed, he looked at the bed again, then turned to the stairs, taking a deep breath to calm himself in anticipation of whatever was going to happen next.

 

Gibbs handed him coffee, told him to sit down, made him breakfast. Tony drank and ate on autopilot, his eyes glued to Gibbs, trying to discover what was going on. Whenever Gibbs looked up from his newspaper and found Tony’s gaze on him, he gave the younger man a little smile. Tony would have found it unnerving if it hadn’t made his heart skip a beat every single time. After Gibbs had cleared away the remains of breakfast, he poured them each another cup of coffee and carried both cups to the living room. Tony followed him without a word, settling on the couch next to Gibbs before accepting the coffee. They sipped in silence, Tony’s eyes still fixed on Gibbs.

“Okay, Tony?”

Tony tilted his head a little.

“Depends, Gibbs.”

“On?”

“On what exactly you’re asking me.”

Gibbs brought his cup to his lips again. Tony sighed.

“Am I feeling okay? Yes. Still a little tired, but that’s nothing some more sleep won’t cure. A little bruised too, but that’ll fade soon enough. Am I okay with sitting here with you, lounging around a little? Sure, when have I ever minded that? I always enjoy hanging out here, with you. Is my coffee okay? It could use a little more sugar, but I don’t want to get up, so it’s fine.”

Then Tony took a deep breath and swallowed.

“Or did you mean whether I’m okay with what happened upstairs?”

Gibbs focused on him intently.

“Yes, I am. I’m very okay with that. I liked waking up in your arms, and I liked when you kissed me. If you hadn’t disappeared on me immediately after, I would have kissed you back.”

Tony’s focus on Gibbs was every bit as intense now as the piercing blue gaze that was scrutinizing him.

“What made you do it, though?”

“I wanted to.”

Tony chuckled, he couldn’t help it.

“I should hope so. Never kiss anyone against your will. But what made it happen now?”

Gibbs seemed to consider his reply carefully.

“I think I had a dream. Either that, or something really strange happened last night.”

The look in his eyes was a mixture of uncertainty and sadness, and it made Tony want to reach out and hold Gibbs, but he refrained. His voice was gentle.

“Want to tell me about it?”

After another long moment, Gibbs shook his head softly.

“I will someday, but not now, okay? Maybe I’m just crazy, having a conversation with myself instead of…”

This time, Tony did reach out and softly placed his hand on Gibbs’ thigh. Gibbs didn’t need to finish the sentence for Tony to understand who he meant, and Gibbs saw it in his eyes when he looked at Tony again.

“Thanks, Tony.”

Tony gave his thigh a little squeeze, then cleared his throat and grinned.

“So, Jethro…”

Gibbs smirked at Tony’s tone and use of his given name. Tony continued with twinkling eyes.

“This kissing thing? That’s something you want to do again, right? Because sweet as it was, I think we can do better.”

And without any hesitation at all, Tony leaned in and proved that he was right.


End file.
